If you’re in Memphis, Tennessee on January 8, make your way over to 3717 Elvis Presley Boulevard. That’s the address of Graceland, and a huge party will be celebrating the 90th birthday of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. And if you can’t make it to Memphis, don’t despair. CKUA is celebrating on the radio airwaves!
Alberta Morning host Grant Stovel says he still can’t get over the “lightning-in-a-bottle magic” of Elvis Presley’s start.
“A teenager drops into a Memphis recording studio in 1954, wanting to pay to record a couple of Ink Spots ballads, so he can take an acetate home and play it for his mother. Intrigued, the studio owner/operator, Sam Phillips, invites him to return for a session with a couple of studio musicians. Things go very poorly at first, and the aimless session appears to be a lost cause—until, to break the tension, Elvis starts ‘acting the fool’ and breaks into a peppy version of a 1946 blues song by Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup.”
The song was “That’s All Right,” and as Grant notes, “Phillips loved it. Sun Records immediately released it as Elvis Presley’s debut single, and popular music was in for an epochal upheaval.” Expect to hear a few Elvis tunes on January 8’s Alberta Morning, to celebrate Elvis, his remarkable journey, and his enduring influence.
Lisa Wilton also has some favourite music in mind. One track she loves is “(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame.” She says, “It was first recorded by Del Shannon about seven months earlier. Nothing against Del Shannon, but the Elvis version is the superior one, both instrumentally and vocally. It’s brighter and smoother, but also retains the rockabilly flair of earlier Elvis recordings.”
Adds Lisa, “1950s Elvis is my favourite era of Elvis, but I also appreciate the pop culture impact of bejewelled jumpsuit Elvis.” Does that mean listeners will hear “Suspicious Minds” or “Burning Love” on Traffic Jams? You’ll have to tune in to find out!
Amy van Keeken will honour Elvis during Far Out. “I love his early stuff, SO ROCKIN’,” she says. She’ll spin some of his 1950s tracks, including “Ready Teddy,” “Rip It Up,” and “Trying To Get To You.” Amy calls Elvis “one of the best interpreters of song the world has ever seen,” and says, “He put his whole heart into every single note.”
The January 3 Friday Night Blues Party has some cool Elvis tunes in it as well so check it out OnDemand. In this episode, host Cam Hayden notes that Steve Pineo and others will be celebrating at The Ironwood Stage & Grill in Calgary. Pineo says he’s been playing shows to celebrate Elvis and his birthday for at least fifteen years. “It’s a popular show,” he says, “and it sells out by word of mouth.” That’s why this year there will be two shows, January 8 and 9.
Along with Steve will be guitarist Tim Leacock, bassist Kit Johnson, and drummer Kelly Kruse. Garth Kennedy will play keyboards, and The Heebee-jeebees will sing backup.
Pineo has been an Elvis fan since he was a kid, and says, “I learned to sing popular music by emulating him.” He adds, “The show is loving but irreverent. We are not impersonators. We don’t dress up. But I can do my best to sound like Elvis.” Tickets are going fast but you may be able to find some at ironwoodstage.ca
We hope you enjoy the programming on January 8. Tune in live throughout the day or listen later via OnDemand.
